( ramos01 )

Comments made by ramos01

It's a strange thing to see commentary here comparing San Diego's local schools to the NBA, as if our local schools are performing at the level of NBA elite performances. Most of these commenters would probably repeat the common claim that our schools are failing.

It's important to note that whiteness is a racial identity, just like maleness is a gender identity. I have seen white male teachers who have are aware of their racial/gender identity and are able to draw on it in order to be effective with their minority students. I've also seen minority and female teachers use their racial and gender identities in order to connect with their students. I certainly use the fact that I'm Latino in order make a personal connection with my students so I can motivate them. Ultimately, though, I need to teach well. I'm just able to use my race as another tool as a teacher. If I were white, I would hope that I would be aware enough of my race in order to use that as an asset in my job.

The problem comes when white teachers (and police) act like the racial differences between them and their students (or local residents) don't exist. Minority students and residents are definitely aware of the difference.

Racial identity shouldn't be used as a proxy for cultural competency if cultural competency is what we want. Our local schools aren't suddenly going to change because the teachers all suddenly look a little browner if they still can't connect with the kids or teach well. You need people that know how to relate to the kids they teach. Those people could be white, black, Asian, Latino, etc. That said, if you want people to be culturally competent because that competency will result in better student achievement, you're going to end up with a more diverse population anyway.

I used to use my plastic bags as trash bags, because they fit so well in my little kitchen trash bin. Now I use my reusable bags and I bought a roll of biodegradable bags for my trash. I look forward to this ban on plastic.

I say that we all have a responsibility to nurture a culture of tolerance and not to institutionalize our personal notions of what constitutes an appropriate identity, so long as no harm is being done to others.

I'm so proud of Iman for her courage in coming out and putting a public face on such a difficult private struggle. She will make a great role model for young kids who also feel like they are experiencing criticism from all sides in isolation.

This absolutely is for everyone else to deal with. While listening to this story, it struck me how familiar Iman's voice was. I went online to read the article and sure enough, I know this young woman- I was Iman's teacher years ago. My reaction is absolutely not that it's solely for her family to deal with. I wish I had known more then about her struggle. This story is a powerful reminder that we need to listen to our youth more. Thank you, Iman.

I am going to miss Performance Today, but I didn't like hearing it at 7pm. It seemed to be too early for classical music, especially in the warmer months when it is still sunny close to 8pm. I would have moved Performance Today to 8 or 9pm and put more local programming in the 7-9pm slots.

I will try the classical streaming, but I am not sure that I will like it, mainly because I liked the show format, with a host that explains some background for the music being played.